Flock license plate readers go silent in Bernalillo County but new technology is on the way
BCSO Sheriff John Allen says he won’t reveal locations of new automated license plate readers
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. —
A Rio Rancho man was arrested last week after deputies said he dismantled several Flock automatic license plate readers and brought them to the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office.
One of the main reasons for his actions was concerns about privacy and misuse. License plate readers automatically capture, analyze, and store license plate information, and these concerns are being raised across the country.
Sheriff John Allen said the county will transition to Axon for its license plate readers, noting that the county already uses Axon for body-worn cameras.
“It is the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office data. And also as far as mass surveillance is concerned, I’m not sharing with everybody around the nation anymore. I have even looked and approved for anybody to share around with in the state,” Allen said.
Sheriff Allen explained that Axon will better protect data and ensure the information does not automatically pool into a national database.
Sheriff Allen also said license plate readers have proven effective in solving crimes.
“Every day that our deputies are using this, we’re cutting down on the time that we’re finding offenders,” Allen said.
When asked about the placement of the new cameras, Allen declined to provide details.
“I’ll never tell people that. And the reason being this, people are cutting them down there, causing damage,” Allen said.
